27/08/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 27/08/2024 21:28
If you wake up to pee several times most nights, you likely have a condition called nocturia. It's not a disease, but it may stem from other health issues.
"Everyone has a baseline of what's normal urinary frequency for them," says Ali Dabaja, M.D., a urologist at Henry Ford Health. "But if you wake at least twice to go to the bathroom during eight hours of sleep, that's considered nocturia."
Waking up during the night to use the bathroom is not uncommon. Nor is it necessarily a problem. "It's only considered a problem when the interruptions are frequent enough and bothersome enough to cause restless sleep," says Dr. Dabaja.
Peeing more often at night (and often during the day, too) does become more common with age. "More than 50% of adults over age 50 have nocturia," says Dr. Dabaja. "And after age 50 the condition is more common in men than women."
In most cases, people who experience nocturia also pee frequently during the day. An underlying medical condition can result in frequent urination-during the day or at night. These might include:
You might also wake up more often to pee if you take diuretic medication (drugs that cause your kidneys to make extra urine). Diuretic beverages (like coffee or alcohol) in the evening or simply drinking too much fluid close to bedtime can also cause frequent urination.
"The key to treating nocturia is to correct the underlying issue that's causing you to urinate frequently at night," says Dr. Dabaja. "If we're able to correct the underlying cause-like enlarged prostate, high blood sugar or sleep apnea-it can often decrease nocturia symptoms."
Some lifestyle changes can also help reduce your need to pee during the night. You can improve nocturia symptoms by:
If you have to pee so frequently-day or night-that it's disruptive to your activities or sleep, you should talk to your doctor. Nocturia isn't an inevitable effect of aging or something you have to live with.
"Nocturia can indicate an underlying problem that needs to be addressed," says Dr. Dabaja. "So it's important to see a urologist who can diagnose and treat the problem."
Reviewed by Dr. Ali Dabaja, a urologist who sees patients at Henry Ford Medical Center in Dearborn and at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.